Having completed 7 months mentoring a group of 12/13 year old boys at a local school I was shocked at the general ability to read, write and spell correctly.

GCSE grades have fallen for the first time in 24 years and The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned too many employees are entering the workplace without the basic literacy and numeracy skills.

There has been a fall in the proportion of GCSEs awarded an A*-C grade, for the first time since the exams were introduced 24 years ago.

This year’s results, published yesterday, show 69.4% of entries earned grades A*-C, compared with 69.8% last year. There is also a fall in the proportion of pupils receiving the top A* and A grades, down to 22.4% from 23.2%.

Adam Marshall, director of policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “We congratulate GCSE students today who are reaping the rewards of their hard work. Young people have a lot to offer, and businesses are keen to employ them…..